Time to be you

Whilst at the wood over the weekend I was unable to do much physical work as I had an injured knee, So I walked, and paid attention to life all around – the way the trees had changed over winter, signs of deer and squirrel. The me of the past was a human doing, I […]

Why we work, and filling the gap

This is an excerpt from my book – Rethinking Retirement for Positive Ageing. If you have bought a copy, I’d love to know what you think, and a review on Amazon would help a lot. Why you should read this chapter Money is clearly one of the reasons for us to work, but work is […]

What will give your life meaning in later life.

We are told that it is our work that gives meaning to our life. When there are bills to pay it certainly can give us a reason to get up. But how meaningful is our work? To what extent would we do it if we weren’t getting paid. Once we start to receive our pension, […]

Understanding Personality Traits

Retirement adjustment can be studied using personality theory, which offers insights into behaviour and subjective experiences. The ‘Big Five’ factors – openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism – are commonly used to measure personality traits. These traits encompass various behaviours and motivations. Research has found that high conscientiousness, agreeableness, and low neuroticism, particularly […]

Trailcam footage

The latest from the trailcam, there is some good footage of a fox, and also hare, roe and muntjac deer and some birds from basecamp. We do get animal visitors to base camp – this time a glimpse of a deer.

Nature as Nurture

Hi, it’s Dr Denise and I’m standing at the edge of our wood. One of the good things about this time of year is you can actually see the field because there’s less leaves in the way. I haven’t been here for a week, and when I came here last Sunday, I was glad I […]

Sharing retirement ‘snacks’

This time I wanted to share some ‘snacks’ related to my retirement research. The Cheltenham Book Launch Party This took place 2-3 weeks ago. It was a celebration with people I know. Some well, some less so. It was more intimate and personal than the online launch. A friend did the filming, and I’d love […]

What is your (non-financial) legacy

Many people think legacy is meant for those who have a lot of money and are known as philanthropists. Or they are people such as Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa, activists and saints doing important work. But we can all leave a legacy. Whilst we are likely to leave money to family and other […]

Beyond the Job Title: Rediscovering Identity and Purpose in Retirement

Entering a period of retirement there are many different views. Some people have got jaded by their work and can’t wait to leave. Others have it forced up on them, they are perhaps a partner in a consultancy firm and it’s written that they leave at 60. Others will feel the time is right, the […]

We need to show self compassion

Hi, it’s Dr. Denise Taylor from my wood and today I want to talk to you about self-compassion and it’s something that I’m personally not very good at. I’m a lot better helping other people than showing it to myself. I remember one time working with somebody, helping me address some issues in my life […]